UPPER TAIERI.

Otago Witness, Issue 2497, 22 January 1902, Page 35

UPPER TAIERI.

January 18. — The blazing clear weather experienced here Bince the advent of the new' year has enabled the late shearing sheds to make rapid progress with the shearing of their flocks. The early shearing sheds this season were heavily handicapped with, extra expensethrough having to feed and pay a full band of shearers and shed hands for a lengthened, period of time, owing to the continuous wet weather throughout Central Otago. A change for the better has at length set in, and in all conscience it was much needed to brighten up matters that had fallen almost to zero in the interior of Otago. One manager informed me that over £100 additional expense was incurred this season.

Wool Scouring. — This industry has assumed very largo dimensions in the Maniototo this season, and is being prosecuted on a gigantic scale by a large band of men under the supervision of Mr George Patterson, a wool expert of a very high order of merit. The scouring establishment is situated at Linbnrn station, and, I may add, is replete with every requisite that could be required for the process of scouring operations on a very* large scale. The. several large- stations Bend inferior descriptions of wool such as locks and pieces, to bo scoured prior to being forwarded to Dunedin. Mr Patterson has over 1000 bales at the establishment to scour this season.

Pastoral. — The current season has struck home some telling facts to a number of tho largo flockowners who depasture numbers of sheep in the mountainous regions of the district. It is not too much to say that thousands of sheep mustered in from the back blocks recently to be shorn have told a tale of semi-starvation and suffering extending over a lengthened time. It is not to be wondered at that heavy losses ot valuable drafts of merinsheep have been experienced during the past few years, when standards and wire have tc do shepherd's duty for miles upon miles of New Zealand pastoral lands. Out stations have been abolished one by one and homes abandoned. The shepherd's occupation in the back blocks is gone, and instead of having a few shepherds to turn down the sheep, they are left to the mercy of the elenu^.ts for the winter months.